Turning a blind eye
by Laurenke1
Summary: Severus Snape caught 3 students trying to steal Gryffindor's sword from his office. Why do he punish them so lightly? Slightly AU warning and spoilers for deadly hallows


**Disclaimer: I don't own anything of Harry Potter**

**Note: I was re reading Deadly Hallows and saw the mention of the sword of Gryffindor and it being stolen from Snape. So I decided to make a story out of it when he discovers Ginny and her friends, who were Neville and Luna, when they tried to take it out of his office and down the stairs. Let's begin. **

**Warning: Spoilers**

**Title: Turning a Blind Eye**

**Author: Laurenke1**

Severus Snape waited patiently at the bottom of the rotating staircase for the three wayward students to come down. He resisted the urge to tap his foot on the stones, knowing it would give him away. He allowed himself a small smirk, they could not escape.

He wondered how thick they had to be. Did they really think that he would leave the sword of Gryffindor lying about unprotected in Dumbledore's office? That he had not warded the office, to alert him when somebody entered?

Perhaps he should meet them half way? Making up his mind he walked up, taking slow and silent steps. It seemed that all students always forgot that he was a spy above all others. He was careful to keep his face neutral. Ever since being appointed the headmaster by Voldemort, he knew that the war was coming to an end, but to what end he could not tell.

Finally he crossed his arms over his chest and waited when he could see one of the students coming down the stairs. Red, waist length hair, yes this was Ginny Weasley. Severus wondered if she had learned something from her brothers for it seemed so.

He cleared his throat and saw her stiffen. "Please do explain why you are trying to sneak down the stairs with the sword of Gryffindor from _my _office?" His voice was soft and yet Severus found no satisfaction in riffling the students, even when it protected them from the harsh treatments they would receive from the death eaters.

"Back up to the office now, if you please!" He finally snapped, walking after them and slamming the door shut behind him.

The portraits in the circular office were all sleeping. Severus glanced at Dumbledore's portrait behind the desk. The students would have to face it and Severus was glad that Albus was asleep. He was not sure if he could have played the part if he knew that Albus was watching his every move.

He gestured for the students to sit. He could see Neville and Luna exchange startled looks but Ginny met his gaze calmly and without flinching. Crossing his arms over his chest, Severus glared at her. Inwardingly he smiled, she would do well in battle yet he only sneered on the outside.

"Care to explain why you were stealing the sword of Gryffindor from my office?" His voice was low and soft, always a dangerous sign for anybody who had ever had class from Severus Snape. Neville Longbuttom stiffened even more, gulping for air and the black eyes turned to fix on the round face. Severus smirked; there was no need to be suddenly nice to the students even when he was looking out for them.

He sighed, he could only protect from Voldemort and the Carrows for so long. Every day more students were injured or tortured in those classes that the sibling death eaters taught and there was nothing Severus could do about it. He would be giving his position away. All he could do to protect the students was to make sure that they would not get out of hand too much. He would have to turn a blind eye when it concerned the Carrows.

"Because _sir_, it is called the sword of Gryffindor and it does not belong to some death eater Slytherin." Ginny Weasley hissed and Severus leaned forward by placing his hands on the desk. He could see that she actually recoiled little and she leaned back just a bit, trying to hide it but he had already seen it.

Yet he felt not the slightest satisfactory in it. He had been teaching for nearly 20 years now and he had always enjoy imitating the students and he knew several were afraid of him, such a person was Neville but never had he seen such fear in the blue eyes of the girl in front of him.

Yes, she was just a girl. Barely 15 or 16 years old, too young to fight in a war, Severus mussed but then he had just been around the same age when he joined the death eaters. He unconsciously flexed his left forearm where the dark mark was branded into his skin. It was a decision he still regretted daily and paid the price, through usually self inflicted, every day as well.

Even Dumbledore had not been that harsh with him as Severus Snape was with himself. He stayed away from the students, hardly making any friends in the staff and waited, guided by Dumbledore's words to strike when the time was right.

The time to strike had been last June, when he had to do the horrible task of killing his only real friend in the world. Of killing the only one who had believed in him. Whose portrait now hung behind him. Severus shivered when he remembered some of their last conversations in this very room, in this very spot when they had been discussing Potter and Severus' soul. Dumbledore had turned a blind eye when it concerned Severus' soul and Potter's fate.

"Yet the sword belongs to the school. As the headmaster of this school the sword therefore belongs to me, death eater or not! As for your punishment…" Severus straightened and he noticed how all three students suddenly gave him their full attention.

"Harry will come and when he does you will have to answer to him! The sword of Gryffindor belongs to him. It has been left to him by professor Dumbledore." Ginny jumped to her feet, eyes sparkling fiercely.

Severus allowed himself to smirk, knowing he only looking more dangerously as he did so. He could hear the furry of robes behind him and knew Dumbledore was close to waking. He would have to deal with the older headmaster later.

For now he was forced to deal with the children. "Miss Weasley, I suggest that you sit down and be quite unless you will be serving punishment with _me _and I can guarantee you that you really would not like that!" Severus finally snapped. He was getting fed up.

If the brat did not want to listen that was fine with him but the punishment he had in mind right now needed to be carried out exactly. He needed to thread carefully here and be sure that he played his part right.

He took a deep breath to calm himself. "You will report tomorrow night to Hagrid's office to go with him into the Forbidden Forest. I will come and collect you the next morning, those of you who are still alive and walking that is. And now dismissed! Do not let me catch you trying to get into this office ever again or you will suffer my displeasure!"

With those last words the students hurried out of the office. Severus listened closely at the door until he heard the stone door sliding back into place again. He slipped the wards back into place and then walked over to the desk where the fake sword lay.

He ignored the glance Dumbledore was sending him and walked to the cabinet behind the desk to pour himself a generous amount of fire whiskey, he deserved it. He drowned the glass, pouring himself another one and then sat in the chair in front of the desk, contemplated the sword that lay there, shining in the moonlight.

"Severus?" The soft voice of the former headmaster cut through the silence but Severus did not answer. He would need to send a message to the Dark Lord to ask to move the sword to a new safe location. He knew that the goblins would keep silent about it being a fake.

He knew where the real sword was but the time was not yet right. It would be another thing that he would have to turn a blind eye towards. He raised his glass in a mocking toast to the portrait which was regarding him with concerned eyes before he drowned it again.

"Severus, my dear boy…"

"No, Albus! I do not wish to discuss this…" His voice was still sharp but it lacked the usual venom. Even after all that Dumbledore had put him through he was not able to hate the man.

"Severus, you cannot keep doing this. You are harming yourself…."

The dark haired man did not raise his gaze to meet the electric blue eyes that would surely pierce his soul, whatever was left of it. "I have long since ceased to care about harming myself, Albus…" He left the sentence hanging in the air, aware of the other portraits listening.

"Severus, come here please?" There was a soft request and finally Severus looked up. He raised his wand and a silencing charm was placed over the other portraits, some making unrespectful noises yet they could not be heard.

The tall man and the only living soul in the room wearily got to his feet and approached the portrait hanging behind the desk. The blue eyed, aging wizard was gazing at him with concern and finally black met blue and Severus bent over with a sudden weight on his shoulders, placing both hands on the portrait, supporting himself.

"My dear boy, I know this is hard but you must hold a while longer. When the time is right, you will know what to do and you shall be rewarded for it." Severus could only nod, taking deep breaths to calm himself.

Finally he straightened and he only smiled at Dumbledore, it was a tiny smile but he received a full twinkle in return. "One day you shall hang here as well and I will offer you as many embraces as you will like, Severus. Until that day, hold on… and regarding the students, I wish to thank you…"

"For turning a blind eye? You are welcome, Albus and may that time be soon for I long to see openly again and be embraced by real friends…." And with those words Severus turned as the mark on his arm burned. He sighed, knowing in the near future he would have to turn a blind eye once more.

The end

**So tell me what you think. I tried to show his suffering a little bit. Please review. **


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